I concur! I applaud your generosity and I'm sure here's going to be kids who not only will appreciate it, but it may important to them. I too hope that you can still observe with a scope more easily moved.

All,Yes, I have a new refractor - an Astro-Tech AT106 that along with the Desert Sky Alt-Az tripod & mount weighs about half of what the Orion did.

My friends gave me a tax-credit letter.

Yeah, a permanent pier - what a great idea !

I'm now up to walking on my computerized prosthetic leg using forearm crutches ( sometimes still use a 4-leg walker ). I need to nag my wife ( for a change ) to take this stuff out back so I can set it up and take a peek.